Benjamin Franks
@myaac.at
Husband, Father, Neuroscientist, Assistive Technology Specialist
A brilliant panel for the “What is consciousness ?” Part of the series of podcasts called “A Question of Science”
Hosted by Prof Brian Cox at The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk
@smfleming.bsky.social has a link below to the Podcasts and a video of the event. ⬇️💭
Hosted by Prof Brian Cox at The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk
@smfleming.bsky.social has a link below to the Podcasts and a video of the event. ⬇️💭
Entertaining and wide-ranging panel discussion on consciousness at the @crick.ac.uk hosted by @profbriancox.bsky.social and featuring me, @anilseth.bsky.social @kathaschmack.bsky.social and @cosmicskeptic.bsky.social
Check it out, let us know what you think!
www.lnk.to/AQOSConsciou...
Check it out, let us know what you think!
www.lnk.to/AQOSConsciou...
What is consciousness?
Professor Brian Cox and an expert panel explore the elusive science of consciousness – what it is, how it arises, whether it can be observed in the brain, and the most compelling theories explaining i...
www.lnk.to
November 26, 2025 at 9:49 AM
A brilliant panel for the “What is consciousness ?” Part of the series of podcasts called “A Question of Science”
Hosted by Prof Brian Cox at The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk
@smfleming.bsky.social has a link below to the Podcasts and a video of the event. ⬇️💭
Hosted by Prof Brian Cox at The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk
@smfleming.bsky.social has a link below to the Podcasts and a video of the event. ⬇️💭
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Communication Works is back! 🎉
We're delighted to announce that Communication Works will return to Oldham and London next year and registration is now open!
North - Fri 22nd May, Oldham Events Centre
South - Wed 24th June, Charlton Athletic Football Club
Register your FREE place: buff.ly/6tnfqtB
We're delighted to announce that Communication Works will return to Oldham and London next year and registration is now open!
North - Fri 22nd May, Oldham Events Centre
South - Wed 24th June, Charlton Athletic Football Club
Register your FREE place: buff.ly/6tnfqtB
November 24, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Communication Works is back! 🎉
We're delighted to announce that Communication Works will return to Oldham and London next year and registration is now open!
North - Fri 22nd May, Oldham Events Centre
South - Wed 24th June, Charlton Athletic Football Club
Register your FREE place: buff.ly/6tnfqtB
We're delighted to announce that Communication Works will return to Oldham and London next year and registration is now open!
North - Fri 22nd May, Oldham Events Centre
South - Wed 24th June, Charlton Athletic Football Club
Register your FREE place: buff.ly/6tnfqtB
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Bloomsbury/UCL people: Have you tried this new Lebanese Cafe - Matbakh Kitchen - located on Great Ormond Street? The food is delicious! My Mums family came from Syria and I’m so happy to find truly authentic home cooking. Do try if you’re in the area.
November 17, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Bloomsbury/UCL people: Have you tried this new Lebanese Cafe - Matbakh Kitchen - located on Great Ormond Street? The food is delicious! My Mums family came from Syria and I’m so happy to find truly authentic home cooking. Do try if you’re in the area.
Julia Simner on tasty words and hearing colours:
Julia Simner from University of Sussex School of Psychology is on The Life Scientific on BBC Radio 4 with Jim Al-Khalili with a name check for Jamie Ward, Louisa Rinaldi and the team at The University of Sussex
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Julia Simner from University of Sussex School of Psychology is on The Life Scientific on BBC Radio 4 with Jim Al-Khalili with a name check for Jamie Ward, Louisa Rinaldi and the team at The University of Sussex
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
The Life Scientific - Julia Simner on tasty words and hearing colours - BBC Sounds
Professor Julia Simner tests Jim for synaesthesia with surprising results.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Julia Simner on tasty words and hearing colours:
Julia Simner from University of Sussex School of Psychology is on The Life Scientific on BBC Radio 4 with Jim Al-Khalili with a name check for Jamie Ward, Louisa Rinaldi and the team at The University of Sussex
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Julia Simner from University of Sussex School of Psychology is on The Life Scientific on BBC Radio 4 with Jim Al-Khalili with a name check for Jamie Ward, Louisa Rinaldi and the team at The University of Sussex
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
🧵🆓🔓🦋 #bskySPEECHIES. #Brava @carorowland.bsky.social et al. See that, @bronwynhemsley.bsky.social @lucyebryant.bsky.social @katharinebeals.bsky.social Not a gestalt language processor in site, no mention of analytic language learners because it's all strictly rooted in empiricism!
Children are incredible language learning machines. But how do they do it? Our latest paper, just published in TICS, synthesizes decades of evidence to propose four components that must be built into any theory of how children learn language. 1/
www.cell.com/trends/cogni... @mpi-nl.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/cogni... @mpi-nl.bsky.social
Constructing language: a framework for explaining acquisition
Explaining how children build a language system is a central goal of research in language
acquisition, with broad implications for language evolution, adult language processing,
and artificial intelli...
www.cell.com
June 27, 2025 at 9:08 AM
🧵🆓🔓🦋 #bskySPEECHIES. #Brava @carorowland.bsky.social et al. See that, @bronwynhemsley.bsky.social @lucyebryant.bsky.social @katharinebeals.bsky.social Not a gestalt language processor in site, no mention of analytic language learners because it's all strictly rooted in empiricism!
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Take a look at our October Newsletter. It's going to be a busy month with AAC Awareness, Dyslexia Awareness Week and the Tes SEND Show at the Business Design Centre in Islington!
bit.ly/CENMAC_ENews...
#AssistiveTechnology #SEND #AACAwareness #DyslexiaAwareness #Dyslexia #TesSENDShow
bit.ly/CENMAC_ENews...
#AssistiveTechnology #SEND #AACAwareness #DyslexiaAwareness #Dyslexia #TesSENDShow
October 3, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Take a look at our October Newsletter. It's going to be a busy month with AAC Awareness, Dyslexia Awareness Week and the Tes SEND Show at the Business Design Centre in Islington!
bit.ly/CENMAC_ENews...
#AssistiveTechnology #SEND #AACAwareness #DyslexiaAwareness #Dyslexia #TesSENDShow
bit.ly/CENMAC_ENews...
#AssistiveTechnology #SEND #AACAwareness #DyslexiaAwareness #Dyslexia #TesSENDShow
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
This is a reference post for an article I am writing (there's not word count to give full references within the article so I'm leaving them here to refer across to).
There are three things here:
1) The slide is from a presentation I did recently: Neurodivergent and Not Attending.
There are three things here:
1) The slide is from a presentation I did recently: Neurodivergent and Not Attending.
September 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM
This is a reference post for an article I am writing (there's not word count to give full references within the article so I'm leaving them here to refer across to).
There are three things here:
1) The slide is from a presentation I did recently: Neurodivergent and Not Attending.
There are three things here:
1) The slide is from a presentation I did recently: Neurodivergent and Not Attending.
RIP good sir 🏏❤️
September 23, 2025 at 7:57 PM
RIP good sir 🏏❤️
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
All sign this please @hopenothate.org.uk secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/178037/...
Biggest record of hope against hate
Add your name to show you’re with us >>
secure.hopenothate.org.uk
September 17, 2025 at 8:36 PM
All sign this please @hopenothate.org.uk secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/178037/...
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Just uploaded the updated `discovr_19` R tutorial, which covers logistic regression. This one is almost unrecognizable from the old version, changed to match the chapter of the forthcoming textbook. github.com/profandyfiel...
GitHub - profandyfield/discovr: discovr package for R to accompany Discovering Statistics Using R and RStudio
discovr package for R to accompany Discovering Statistics Using R and RStudio - profandyfield/discovr
github.com
September 15, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Just uploaded the updated `discovr_19` R tutorial, which covers logistic regression. This one is almost unrecognizable from the old version, changed to match the chapter of the forthcoming textbook. github.com/profandyfiel...
Not a surprise, but shocking how the Trump administration has dismantled the system of checks and balances on public health.
Susan Monarez says RFK Jr. told her to commit to decisions in advance, without reviewing evidence and to dismiss vaccine experts.
Ousted CDC director testifies on why she was fired
Susan Monarez says RFK Jr. told her to commit to decisions in advance, without reviewing evidence and to dismiss vaccine experts.
n.pr
September 17, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Not a surprise, but shocking how the Trump administration has dismantled the system of checks and balances on public health.
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Lab staff take strike action over pay row - www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/lab-...
Lab staff take strike action over pay row
Staff are key to blood tests at Camden's hospitals
www.camdennewjournal.co.uk
September 8, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Lab staff take strike action over pay row - www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/lab-...
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
The final webinar in our series on access is on voice based communication, including using voice for typing and control purposes.
Join us as we explore this important communication method!
📅 24th October
⏰ 12:30-13:00
🔗 buff.ly/tdrQlcL
See our full range of Access webinars here: buff.ly/tsyoJCs
Join us as we explore this important communication method!
📅 24th October
⏰ 12:30-13:00
🔗 buff.ly/tdrQlcL
See our full range of Access webinars here: buff.ly/tsyoJCs
September 2, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The final webinar in our series on access is on voice based communication, including using voice for typing and control purposes.
Join us as we explore this important communication method!
📅 24th October
⏰ 12:30-13:00
🔗 buff.ly/tdrQlcL
See our full range of Access webinars here: buff.ly/tsyoJCs
Join us as we explore this important communication method!
📅 24th October
⏰ 12:30-13:00
🔗 buff.ly/tdrQlcL
See our full range of Access webinars here: buff.ly/tsyoJCs
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of what became in time the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, which houses the Institute of Neurology, part of @ucl.ac.uk
As requested by @matthewbroome.bsky.social
If you like this image, please retweet it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
As requested by @matthewbroome.bsky.social
If you like this image, please retweet it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
August 20, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of what became in time the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, which houses the Institute of Neurology, part of @ucl.ac.uk
As requested by @matthewbroome.bsky.social
If you like this image, please retweet it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
As requested by @matthewbroome.bsky.social
If you like this image, please retweet it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
www.reddit.com/r/transgende...
Guess what?
The story about the trans M&S employee and the bra fitting is a pack of lies and distortions.
Want to know what really happened and how colleagues stood up for her?
Read her own account here.
Guess what?
The story about the trans M&S employee and the bra fitting is a pack of lies and distortions.
Want to know what really happened and how colleagues stood up for her?
Read her own account here.
From the transgenderUK community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the transgenderUK community
www.reddit.com
August 19, 2025 at 7:06 AM
www.reddit.com/r/transgende...
Guess what?
The story about the trans M&S employee and the bra fitting is a pack of lies and distortions.
Want to know what really happened and how colleagues stood up for her?
Read her own account here.
Guess what?
The story about the trans M&S employee and the bra fitting is a pack of lies and distortions.
Want to know what really happened and how colleagues stood up for her?
Read her own account here.
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Join us in October for a free taster session on using a mouse as the primary method for communication access as part of our series on Access Methods🖱️
Learn to identify considerations for mouse led communication, potential adaptions, and alternatives available.
📅3rd Oct
⏲️12:30pm
🔗 buff.ly/y79VEsk
Learn to identify considerations for mouse led communication, potential adaptions, and alternatives available.
📅3rd Oct
⏲️12:30pm
🔗 buff.ly/y79VEsk
August 14, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Join us in October for a free taster session on using a mouse as the primary method for communication access as part of our series on Access Methods🖱️
Learn to identify considerations for mouse led communication, potential adaptions, and alternatives available.
📅3rd Oct
⏲️12:30pm
🔗 buff.ly/y79VEsk
Learn to identify considerations for mouse led communication, potential adaptions, and alternatives available.
📅3rd Oct
⏲️12:30pm
🔗 buff.ly/y79VEsk
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Sad to hear that actor Ray Brooks has died. I will always remember him as the narrator of my favourite TV show as a kid, Mr Benn. Here’s my musical tribute to one of the voices of my childhood.
August 10, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Sad to hear that actor Ray Brooks has died. I will always remember him as the narrator of my favourite TV show as a kid, Mr Benn. Here’s my musical tribute to one of the voices of my childhood.
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
🚨 Finally out in Nature Machine Intelligence!!
"Visual representations in the human brain are aligned with large language models"
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s42...
"Visual representations in the human brain are aligned with large language models"
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s42...
High-level visual representations in the human brain are aligned with large language models - Nature Machine Intelligence
Doerig, Kietzmann and colleagues show that the brain’s response to visual scenes can be modelled using language-based AI representations. By linking brain activity to caption-based embeddings from lar...
www.nature.com
August 7, 2025 at 1:06 PM
🚨 Finally out in Nature Machine Intelligence!!
"Visual representations in the human brain are aligned with large language models"
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s42...
"Visual representations in the human brain are aligned with large language models"
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Want to develop your skills for AAC communication but not sure where to start? 🤔
Our free 30 min session is a great entry point into some of the different forms of communication and how to develop your interaction style.
Book your FREE place: buff.ly/r3WcxCq
#aac #aacpeeps #altcomm #commpartner
Our free 30 min session is a great entry point into some of the different forms of communication and how to develop your interaction style.
Book your FREE place: buff.ly/r3WcxCq
#aac #aacpeeps #altcomm #commpartner
August 1, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Want to develop your skills for AAC communication but not sure where to start? 🤔
Our free 30 min session is a great entry point into some of the different forms of communication and how to develop your interaction style.
Book your FREE place: buff.ly/r3WcxCq
#aac #aacpeeps #altcomm #commpartner
Our free 30 min session is a great entry point into some of the different forms of communication and how to develop your interaction style.
Book your FREE place: buff.ly/r3WcxCq
#aac #aacpeeps #altcomm #commpartner
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Tens of thousands of people take to streets for London Trans+ Pride 2025
Tens of thousands of people take to streets for London Trans+ Pride 2025
Event becomes biggest of its kind as more than 100,000 turn out to support its ‘existence and resistance’ theme
More than 100,000 people took to the streets for London Trans+ Pride 2025 on Saturday, making it the biggest such event in the world, organisers said.
The route wound through the centre of the capital’s most famous sites, taking in Regent’s Street, Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square. It concluded at Parliament Square with speakers including Heartstopper and Doctor Who actor Yasmin Finney. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
July 26, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Tens of thousands of people take to streets for London Trans+ Pride 2025
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
Trying to find out who provides AAC/AT services in your area?
Our handy service finder is a great tool to get a quick and easy view of your local AAC, Wheelchair and EC services (UK only).
Try it here 👉 buff.ly/3RwqGsI
buff.ly/4iKqPow
#aac #aacpeeps #altcomm #AugComm #AT
Our handy service finder is a great tool to get a quick and easy view of your local AAC, Wheelchair and EC services (UK only).
Try it here 👉 buff.ly/3RwqGsI
buff.ly/4iKqPow
#aac #aacpeeps #altcomm #AugComm #AT
July 24, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Trying to find out who provides AAC/AT services in your area?
Our handy service finder is a great tool to get a quick and easy view of your local AAC, Wheelchair and EC services (UK only).
Try it here 👉 buff.ly/3RwqGsI
buff.ly/4iKqPow
#aac #aacpeeps #altcomm #AugComm #AT
Our handy service finder is a great tool to get a quick and easy view of your local AAC, Wheelchair and EC services (UK only).
Try it here 👉 buff.ly/3RwqGsI
buff.ly/4iKqPow
#aac #aacpeeps #altcomm #AugComm #AT
Reposted by Benjamin Franks
My PhD student Trevor Hewitt is conducting an online experiment into closed-eye visuals during psychedelic experiences. If you've had such an experience, please consider taking part at closed-eyes.com (it's only a short survey) - and/or help us spread the word. 🙏🏽🧠
July 21, 2025 at 1:11 PM
My PhD student Trevor Hewitt is conducting an online experiment into closed-eye visuals during psychedelic experiences. If you've had such an experience, please consider taking part at closed-eyes.com (it's only a short survey) - and/or help us spread the word. 🙏🏽🧠